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#8

  All has been well within the City of Metropolis since the ordeal with the negative-derived entity that sought to corrupt and distort reality on Earth. Now, things are easing back into its usual pace. Mostly peaceful and an occasional day out of the week of some mild degenerate causing trouble for the public.

  Today, the Terror Twins are out and looking for trouble this fine afternoon. A couple of super powered teens with an entitled outlook on life. And with Superman's death, old big blue, who in Metropolis can really stand up to the likes of them? There isn't another notable powerhouse known or any locals heroic enough to face the pair of them - thus the siblings are wearing the biggest smug grins across the country while traversing through the Mega-A-Load Mall located in the west business district of downtown Metropolis. A four-level structure with a constant flow of customers flowing in and out daily. After all, it's a popular place for just about everyone, even loiters.

  "Hol' up, Tommy. There, that store right ova' there. The Jewelry one. I wanna' drop by for a sec." Tuppence informs her twin brother just as she lifts her right hand to signal at the taller blonde to stop in his tracks. She points toward the Ice & Pearls shop across from them with her left point finger, mindful to keep a good grip on her milkshake as she does. A brief indicator before she heads right forward it. Her brother trails behind.

  "Anything for my lil' sister. Go right ahead, Tuppence." He the tallish male responds just before he takes another bite out of his double stacked cheese burger.

  "D'oh, quit always actin' like your years older than me, Tommy! You came outta' ma only a halfa' minute before I did." She expresses her annoyance with his habit of treating her like a baby-sister when it's obvious they're the same age.

  "That's still halfa' minute of me being born first, Tups. Ain't no shame in having a big brotha' who looks out for ya." He smugly assures. His sister simply scoffs and rolls her eyes as she pushes the entrance door open, taking a swig from her straw once inside.

  The sound of the mechanical bell going off immediate draws the shop owner's attention toward his potential newcomers. He nearly dreaded what came through his door... Teens, both dressed in punk fashion and giving off an aura of attitude in how they handled themselves. He internally prayed these two weren't actual delinquents.

  "Uuhh... Welcome, welcome! Just so that you two know, you aren't really allowed to have food in here." The owner greets and tells the two as reasonably gentle as he can. However, the twins have little respect for rules and give him hassle in turn.

  "Now is that any way to talk to your customers? Don't get cha' undies in a bunch, fella'. We came to do more than just window shop." Tuppence retorts with a cheeky grin, approaching the display case and counter as she does. Already spotting sparkly accessories that get her blue eyes twinkling.

  "The nerve of this guy here. Surprised ya even still have this joint runnin' with an attitude like that." Tommy chimes in. Another bite into his burger follows - one that results in a small gush of ketchup spilling onto the clean carpet floor.

  "Ya preachin' to the choir, Tommy. But still, I can't deny I like what I'm seein'. Yeah.. That one right there. That shiny diamond earring. I want it." The sister speaks up again, pointing at the item in question in the display.

  "You want it? You got it, lil' sis." Tommy tells her.

  "O-oh? Great! But uhh.. You two know how much these merchandises cost, right? They're pretty expensive." The owner forewarns, though it only serves to annoy the two. Tommy comes marching over, abruptly reaching across the counter to reel the cashier into leaning far over the glass stand between them until there was only a fair distance between their faces.

  "Whattaya' insinuatin'' there, fella? You think we can't afford what cha' got or somethin'!?" The male twin exclaims with utter malice in his cold blue eyes.

  "No, no, no! That's not what I was getting at all!" The cashier tries to assure.

  "Hmph. I reckon this chump didn't wanna' do business with us in the first place. S'fine by me, I'm more than happy to just take whateva' I darn please!" And with that - KRRRSSH - Tuppence punches down and shatters the glass casing with effortless ease, swiping up everything that tickled her fancy. Seeing that, the shop owner reaches under his side of the counter and pushes a button to set off a blaring alarm. The commotion draws attention from shoppers and security outside. Tommy proceeds to lift the owner off his feet and roughly slam him against the wall near the exit with a resounding thump.

  "You REALLY shouldn't have done that, bub." While Tommy was busy handling the owner, Tuppence helps herself to a brand plastic bag to store her new collection of jewelry in.

  "Ain't so bad, Tommy. We've been fixin' to put this here ole polite lil' town in its place. Show 'em who's top honchos 'round here." The sister reasons with a smirk, now making her way to head out the store and set an example.

  "C'mon, and bring that ol' boy with ya." She instructs her brother. And without issue, Tommy obliges and follows his sister out back into the open space of the second floor.

  "Take 'em over by that sit n' area, I'll be right with ya." The young woman adds, who takes a moment to approach the nearest railing. She places a hand upon the cold metal and examines it – trying to determine how to fulfill the order she has in mind. Before long, she walks beside the railing, gliding her palm along its sturdy surface until she finds a straight and lengthy stretch of it. From there, she pulls and yanks with a great deal of might, snapping the railing apart at one end, then uses her opposite hand to pull at the opposite point. Another snap occurs and the young punk has around 4 meters of narrow metal in her strong palms while bystanders look upon her with shock.

  "Yeah, this'll do nicely." She murmurs to herself, then heads over to join her brother.

  "What cha' got there, Tups?" Tommy asks with a brow raised. Presently holding their unfortunate hostage in place with an inhumanly strong grip on the older man's shoulder.

  "Rope, lil' Tommy. Some fine lead rope. Hold him up against that there pillar behind ya." She answers and instructs, which her brother fulfills. In the next moment, Tommy presses their victim against the support beam nearby and Tuppence bends the metal within her hands around him and the entire structure. By then, an assembled unit of mall cops were just arriving at the scene.

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  "You two, stop what you're doing and step away from him!" At last the gathering security guards comes to confront the two. However, the twins merely grin at their presence. The first step and first line before escalating the situation and building notable notoriety.

  "Sorry boys, but that ain't happenin'. But here, lemme show ya why you ought to get the boys in blue." Tuppence retorts with a threat – a promise she intends to fulfill as she charges at the gray shirts, kicking off the marble floor to lounge at one with a fist prepped and ready to go flying. During, a sudden gust of wind travels throughout the premise, closing in on the unlawful altercation. Then–

  THWUMP!

  Before anyone realizes the after results of the female blonde's attempt at assault, a figure in black and deep, bright red appears on the scene within a blink of an eye. His right palm grasping and effortlessly holding back the left straight punch he caught as he stands between Tuppence and the security guard.

  "That's some strength you have..." The newcomer, the solemn young man bearing a bold crimson 'S' on his sculpted chest, comments with a nonchalant. A passive glare meeting the punk's shocked expression.

  "What in Sam Blam Hill!?" Tuppence arches a glaring brow, retracting her fist to throw a combination at the peculiar male. However, before she can even connect with the first punch, the hero delivers a leaning right shotgun blow that sends her flying and colliding roughly into a support beam.

  "Tuppence!? NOBODY hits my little sister and gets away with it!" Tommy calls out with worry, a snarl overtaking his features before charges at the kryptonian. In turn, the clone mimics his pace until they meet in the middle.

  THWACK / POWF!!

  Trading punches to one another's cheeks that send Tommy tumbling down the hall, and the clone skidding back into the crowd of mall cops. Naturally, they try their best to catch and support him, even if he ends up not needing the assistance at all.

  "Wow, that was some punch... Who are you?" One of the guards asks. Faintly brushing over the spot he was struck, the young man begins treading forward as he answers the question.

  "Isn't it obvious? I'm Superman." Stoically as he speaks, he approaches the down femme fatale who's just coming out of her daze.

  "Damn, son! You hit like a dang truck!" She comments as she comes to stand on her feet again.

  "Lady... I am not your son."

  "And I ain't your lady, city boy." Tuppence retorts, presenting the motion of going for another jab. One that draws a defensive raise of arms from the clone, and one that doesn't even budge an inch from its cocked position. No, instead she trips him right off his feet and onto his side. She keeps the pressure on with a thrusting sole kick right to his face when he looks up, turning him over flat on his back. She mounts him before he can properly prop himself up on his elbows and sets him flat again with a right hook to the jaw.

  "Oh, don't go gettin' up too early now–"

  THWACK-THWACK! A left and right hit their mark.

  "I want this to last." She adds with a sadistic smile and every intention of continuing her assault. She pummels his face without holding anything back, imprinting the shape of his head into the ground as the surface quakes and cracks from the relentless beating. Bystanders, security included, scattering just in time to avoid being caught in the collapsing of half of the second floor. With the center of the being punched through, it breaks in half and lands with thunderous impacts. Two makeshift ramps formed from the destruction.

  "Dear- Cough, cough!! Lord almighty. I done brought the floor down!" Tuppence muses amusingly to herself, coughing from the smoke screen of dust surrounding her. She frantically waves at it, trying to clear the air. She, of course, remained straddling the kryptonian. By now, her brother was approaching the massive ramp before him.

  "Tuppence? Tuppence!?" He calls out with a hand beside his mouth.

  "Down here, Tommy!" She waves at him from down below. Upon spotting her, he begins sliding his way down.

  "Thank goodness you're alri– Tuppence, look out!" Her brother warns, pointing at the danger. By the time she did turn her head, a pair of hands had latch onto her forearms.

  THACK!

  A fierce head-butt lands from the clone. He follows up with a tap to the bruise he left on her forehead, giving off a brief flash of red telekinetic energy that sends her rocketing away and crashing into the closest surface, rendering her unconscious.

  "Hnnn... I kind of felt that." He murmurs under his breath as he pushes himself up to stand from a sitting position. Unlike Tuppence, his face remains unscathed. Just covered in traces of dirt and dust, much like his fanciful suit.

  "You still plan on fighting?" Superman asks of the blonde who's just reach the lower level. His answer immediately came in the form of the broad, enraged male charging at him again.

  "You're dead, Super-Pun– UHK!?" Tommy cuts off, abruptly put to a stop with a mighty and swift blow to the gut. The blonde topples over with wide eyes, holding his stomach until he finally blacks out into a slumber. With the conclusion finally arrived at, the clone exhales a sigh. Swiping his hands to clear off the dust from his palms.

  "Hey! Hey, you!" A voice calls out to him. His attention shifts toward the source, and there he sees a rather short middle-aged man in a suit sliding down the opposite ramp. Concerned for the stranger's well-being, Superman treads toward him to meet him at the bottom. There's an inevitable collision, but the young man makes sure it's a painless one. His hands catch and help the other stand properly again.

  "Sir, you shouldn't put yourself at risk with hazardous structures..." The clone tells him.

  "You sound like my doctor a bit, you know that? And holy moly, you're younger up close than I imagined! But hey, that can work, too!"

  "Pardon? I'm not sure I'm following you..."

  "Oh, excuse my rudeness, kid. I'm Rex Leech! And I can help make a star out of you."

  "A... star?"

  "That's right! You look mature enough.. You just started college recently? Sophomore maybe? Doesn't matter, you've got the potential to be one of the biggest idols known to mankind!" Rex claims. The clone stares with a curious wide-eyed look.

  "An idol? You mean... like–"

  "That's right! Michael Jackson, the Backstreet Boyz, the Wayne brothers, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, and even Morgan Freeman!"

  "What?" The clone's expression promptly shifts into a dissatisfied frown.

  "I'm not interested... I thought you were implying you could help me become as renowned as the original Superman."

  "Hey, hey! I can help you get there, too! In fact, that's what I had in mind. Just hear me out, alright?" Rex reassures.

  "Hnn..."

  "Building a reputation for being the toughest good guy in the world AND being TV famous will sky rocket you to the very top, kid! C'mon, think about it. Your fan base would have people flooding into it if you had your face everywhere. You'd be loved by everyone, including old cat ladies!"

  "I see... it sounds promising, I suppose."

  "Great! Glad you're starting to see the bigger picture, kid. Stick me with and I'll have ya surfing your way to fame on a gold plated board."

  "...I think I comprehend that analogy." Came Superman's stoic comment.

  "Good, we're already making progress. First thing first, we need to loosen up that firm diction of yours. You've got no swagger, S-Man! You gotta' be down and hip with the kids today. And I've just the thing to help with that!"

  "What's wrong with the way I speak?" The youth lifts a brow.

  "It's snoozeville, kid. The ladies want a guy who can swoon them over with a witty tongue and a laid-back attitude. Boys want a role model who's out there, you know? Not afraid to show off or set the new trend of the month! You need to adapt to the game, or expect to get left in the dust before your race even begins. You don't wanna' be some lackluster chump, do you?"

  "I... I.. No. No, I don't want to be that sort of chump, or any kind of chump."

  "Smart lad. Now, how's about we take a trip to the nearest Blockbuster, got a bunch of movies in mind you can take some lessons in lingo, style, and personality from. You've got cash on you, right?"

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